Last year, nearly 10 million people from all over the world qualified for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program 2023, also known as the visa lottery. Egypt, Algeria, and Iran emerged as the biggest winners. Each year, the visa lottery makes up 55,000 permanent residency permits, also known as green cards, available for people who want to immigrate to the US.
US visa lottery winners officially announced
The Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US State Department recently released statistics showing that approximately 120,000 foreign nationals (applicants and their spouses and children) have been selected to be eligible for a US immigration visa.
Winners of the Diversity Lottery 2023 were selected by an automatic and random computer draw, spread across six geographical regions from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Being selected and registered as a winner does not mean that a visa will be granted. However, it is the first step towards immigrating to the United States legally with permanent resident status without the assistance of a US visa sponsor.
Results Diversity Lottery 2023
The immigration visa allows visa lottery winners to live and work legally and permanently in the United States with permanent residency. Over 7% of the visas within the programme are available to people from certain countries. The countries that have benefited most from this visa lottery again this year are Egypt, Iran and Russia, as well as Algeria and Sudan. Egypt tops the list with the highest number of selected applicants (5529), followed by Algeria (5526), Iran (5506), Russia (5505) and Sudan (4863).
After winning the Diversity Lottery 2023
After a person or their family member is selected into the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, they will receive an application letter with instructions and the necessary steps to follow. First, they need to apply for permanent residence at the Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg using the DS-260 form. Then, they need to prepare for the interview in English. During the visa interview, applicants must show that they have completed a high school education, or that they have had two years of work experience within the previous five years. They are also asked some questions about crime and security to determine if they are eligible for immigration to the US.
No immigration plans? Apply for an ESTA USA
If you are not part of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Programme and you only want to travel to the United States for a short visit, you will need to apply for an ESTA. An ESTA is an electronic travel authorisation which, when issued, is automatically linked to your passport, so that you do not need to visit a consulate or embassy to apply for a visa. The ESTA is valid for two years from the date of issuance and allows you to stay in the United States for up to 90 days. The ESTA is usually issued within 3 days.
Please note: this news article about the ESTA for the USA is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the ESTA for the USA.